The best camping grounds in Timaru run from a sheltered city park within walking distance of Caroline Bay through to a riverside domain camp with room for around a thousand people over the summer. Camping grounds in Timaru and the wider district cover powered and non powered sites, cabins with the linen already supplied, communal kitchens and free dump stations, so you can turn up towing a caravan or carrying nothing but a tent. Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park and Glenmark Holiday Park are the two closest to the middle of town.
1Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park
Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park sits on Selwyn Street in Waimataitai, roughly two minutes on foot from a supermarket and within walking distance of Caroline Bay, the town centre and the public golf course. Hosts Gordon and Alison Collister run the park all year, with powered campervan and tent sites at one end of the range and cabins, en suite units and two bedroom park motels at the other. The grounds are set back and hidden from the road, with a conservation area kept inside the park boundary.
Services
- Powered and tent sites for campervans, caravans and tents
- Standard and super standard cabins
- En suite units and en suite studios
- Two bedroom park motels and self contained units
- Group bookings
Highlights
- Qualmark rated four star plus
- Member of the Holiday Parks New Zealand Association
- Three wheelchair accessible units
- Two shower and toilet blocks, one of them with under floor heating
- One free round of golf per reservation, with golf club and bike hire on site
Location & Contact
Name: Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park
Address: 154A Selwyn Street, Waimataitai, Timaru
Phone: 03 684 7690
Website: timaruholidaypark.co.nz
2Glenmark Holiday Park
Glenmark Holiday Park is a family run camp on Beaconsfield Road, about a three minute drive south of central Timaru, hosted by April and Ian Clifford. The setting is rural and open, and the accommodation spans sheltered powered and non powered sites, small and large standard cabins, kitchen cabins, self contained studios and two bedroom motel units. An outdoor pool, a playground and a free barbecue beside the communal kitchen sit at the centre of the park.
Services
- Powered and non powered camp and caravan sites
- Small and large standard cabins with linen provided
- Kitchen cabins with cooktop, fridge, pots and utensils
- Self contained motel units and two bedroom motel units
- Caravan storage
Highlights
- Filtered outdoor swimming pool, open seasonally from November to April
- Playground with trampoline, swings and pedal car hire
- Dogs welcome by prior arrangement
- Waste station for campervans and caravans at no extra charge for guests
Location & Contact
Name: Glenmark Holiday Park
Address: 30 Beaconsfield Road, Timaru
Phone: 03 684 3682
Website: glenmarkholidaypark.nz
3Temuka Holiday Park
Temuka Holiday Park is about a 15 minute drive north of Timaru, set inside the 75 hectare Temuka Domain recreation reserve where it borders the Temuka River and the town’s 18 hole golf course. The camp is built for numbers, taking around 1000 campers over the peak holiday season across powered sites, tent sites, studio units and lodge rooms. Sports grounds, tennis courts, a skate park and a network of walking and cycling routes are all inside the same reserve.
Services
- Powered sites for caravans and motorhomes
- Non powered tent sites
- Studio units, not self contained
- Lodge rooms, not self contained
Highlights
- Set inside the 75 hectare Temuka Domain, bordering the Temuka River
- Designated dog friendly area
- Free showers and a free dump station
- Free WiFi
- Swimming pool and mini golf on the domain over the summer months
Location & Contact
Name: Temuka Holiday Park
Address: 1 Fergusson Drive, Temuka
Phone: 027 615 8095
Website: temukaholidaypark.co.nz
4Otaio Gorge Campsite
Otaio Gorge Campsite is a Department of Conservation site in a scenic reserve in the Hunters Hills, reached by following State Highway 1 south from Timaru to St Andrews, then Blue Cliffs Road and a stretch of gravel. This is a standard conservation campsite rather than a holiday park, so there is no power, no kitchen block and nobody on the gate, and every stay is booked and paid for online before arrival. The reason to make the drive is the Otaio River, with a swimming hole a short walk upstream of the camping area.
Services
- Non powered camping sites, booked online
- Vehicle access for cars, campervans and caravans
- Swimming in the Otaio River
- Otaio Gorge Track, a 100 metre walk to a scenic swimming hole
Highlights
- Standard category Department of Conservation campsite
- Fees of $10 an adult and $5 a child a night, with under fives free
- The DOC Campsite Pass can be used here
- Sits beside forest in a scenic reserve, and floods in periods of heavy rain
Location & Contact
Name: Otaio Gorge Campsite
Address: Back Line Road, Otaio Gorge, South Canterbury
Website: doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/canterbury/places/hunters-hills-area/things-to-do/otaio-gorge-campsite
Camping Grounds in Timaru at a Glance
| Business | Highlight |
|---|---|
| Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park | Qualmark rated four star plus |
| Glenmark Holiday Park | Filtered outdoor swimming pool, open seasonally from November to April |
| Temuka Holiday Park | Set inside the 75 hectare Temuka Domain, bordering the Temuka River |
| Otaio Gorge Campsite | Standard category Department of Conservation campsite |
How to Choose the Right Camping Ground in Timaru
- Decide whether you need a powered site. Caravans, motorhomes and anyone running a chilly bin or a heater will want power, while a tent on a non powered site is cheaper and usually easier to book at short notice.
- Check what the camp supplies. Cabins vary a lot: some come with linen, a cooktop and a fridge, others give you a bed and send you to the communal kitchen and ablution block.
- Match the location to the trip. A park inside the city puts you within walking distance of the beach and the shops, while a domain or conservation site trades that for space, quiet and river access.
- Confirm the facilities you actually use. Dump stations, laundries, filtered pools, playgrounds and free WiFi are not standard across every camp, and a few of them are seasonal.
- Ask about dogs and about booking rules before you drive. Some parks take dogs only by prior arrangement, some set aside a dog area, and conservation campsites keep no spaces for anyone turning up without an online booking.
Frequently Asked Questions About Timaru Camping Grounds
What does a camping ground in Timaru cost a night?
Prices depend on the type of site and whether power is included, and the holiday parks quote per person or per site at the time of booking rather than publishing a flat rate. Conservation campsites are the cheaper end and do publish their fees: Otaio Gorge charges $10 an adult and $5 a child a night, with children under five free.
Which camping grounds are closest to central Timaru?
Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park on Selwyn Street in Waimataitai is inside the city and within walking distance of Caroline Bay and the town centre, and Glenmark Holiday Park on Beaconsfield Road is roughly a three minute drive south of the central city. If you are coming down State Highway 1 from the north, or heading for the Temuka River and the golf course, the Temuka Domain camp is about 15 minutes up the road.
Do I need to book ahead?
Over the Christmas and New Year period, and especially around the Caroline Bay carnival, the holiday parks fill up and booking well ahead is the safe move. Department of Conservation campsites are stricter again: bookings are made and paid for online, no spaces are held for people who arrive without one, and a booking taken over the phone or at a visitor centre carries a service fee.
Can I bring a dog?
Some camps can take a dog and others cannot, so check before you leave home rather than at the gate. Temuka Holiday Park has a dog friendly area, and Glenmark Holiday Park welcomes dogs by prior approval and will explain its conditions when you get in touch.
Where can I empty a campervan waste tank?
A dump station is the usual reason travellers pull into a holiday park rather than a rest area. Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park has campervan waste facilities on site, Glenmark Holiday Park provides a waste station at no extra charge to its guests, and the Temuka Domain camp has a free dump station.
What is the difference between a holiday park and a conservation campsite?
A holiday park is a serviced business with reception hours, powered sites, kitchens, laundries, showers and cabins or units to rent. A Department of Conservation campsite is a place to pitch a tent or park a vehicle in a reserve, with basic facilities and nobody on site, and it is priced accordingly. You can read what each conservation campsite provides and book it on the Department of Conservation website.
Can I freedom camp around Timaru instead?
Freedom camping is controlled by local bylaw and the rules differ between reserves, car parks and roadsides, so parking up for the night in the wrong spot can earn you a fine even in a certified self contained vehicle. Check the rules and the areas where it is allowed with the Timaru District Council before you settle in.
Are the camps open all year?
The two Timaru holiday parks and the Temuka Domain camp are open year round, though some of what sits alongside them is seasonal, with outdoor pools and mini golf generally running over the summer months only. Conservation campsites stay open through the winter, but the back roads to them can be rough or cut off after heavy rain, so check conditions before heading inland.
How We Chose the Best Camping Grounds in Timaru
Every business in this guide was found by searching for camping grounds in Timaru, then checked against what the business publishes itself: its own website, or where it has none, its official social or booking page. Names, addresses and phone numbers come from those pages rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what the business says about itself. We also check that each one is still trading and is actually based in or genuinely serving Timaru, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business we can’t confirm from its own pages is not listed.